Feeding mechanism for carding-machines.



J. B. HOWE.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR GABDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILE-D iUNE 4' I914.

- 1 18,5367, v Patented; May 4, 1915.

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J. B. HOWE.

FEEDiNG MECHANISM FOR CARDING MACHINES.

APPHCATION FILED JUNE 4| 19l4.

l m fififi Patented May 4, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 00., PH01n-L!THO., WASHING m", D

, rinrrn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. HOWE, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 SYDNEY HARW'OOD,

- OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND JOHN H. HARWOOD, 0F BROOKLINE, MASSA- CHUSETTS, COPARTNERSDOING BUSINESS UNDER THE FIRM NAME OF GEORGE-S. HARWOOD 8:; SON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IFEEDIN Gr MECHANISM FOR CARDINGQMACHINES.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn B Hown, a citizen of the United States, and resident of l/Vorcester, in the county of Worcester and State oflifassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Feeding Mechanism for carding-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to .feed mechanism for carding machines, and more particularly to sliver-feeding devices of the class commonly knownas Apperly feeds; and the invention consists principally in improvements in the construction and operation of the reciprocating. carrier or traveler, and in improvements in the supporting frame on which the traveler and its actuating devices are mounted, all as hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

' In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is'a plan view of card feeding mechanism containing the invention; Fig. 2 is a front view, enlarged, of the traveler; Fig. 3 is a side view of said traveler with part of the supporting, guiding and driving devices shown in section; Fig. 4 is a rear view of said traveler; Fig. 5 is a sectional detail on line 55 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on line 66 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the bracket of the supporting frame viewed from the left of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a front elevation of said left hand bracket partly in section; Fig. 9 is an enlarged elevation and sectional view on line 99 of Fig. 1; Fig. 10 is an enlarged elevation and sectional view on line 10-10 of Fig. l; and Fig. 11 is a sectional view on line 1'111'of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the feed apron, similar to that used in the well known Apperly feed,comp0sed of a series of belts running'on rollers C which are ournaled on the frame B. Mounted on the frame B at each side of the machine is a bracket 1 (Figs. 1, 7 and 8), provided with a bearing hub 2 at its forward end and a vertically slotted supporting box 3 at its rear end. The bracket 1 is made with a forked lug 4 near the lower part,-.and each bracket is mounted on a screw-threaded stud projecting upwardly from the frame Patented May 4,1915.

Application filed June 4, 1914. Serial No. 843,053.

The bracket 1 is secured to the stud 5 with provision for vertical adjustment by means of the nuts 6 and 7 threaded on to stud 5 Extending from side to side of the machine betweenthe brackets 1 is a bridge bar 8, consisting of a single wide fiat bar standing on edge with its greater lateral dimensionina vertical plane. The ends of the bridge bar 8 are secured in the slotted supporting boxes 3 of the bracket 1 by means of set-screws 13 and 15, which clamp'the bar 8 against the bearing points or projections 12 and 14 in the support 3. These bearing vpoints and set-screws hold the bar rigidly in place without danger of any play or loosene'ss between the parts. The single bar 8 by reason of its form and position stifHy resists any tendency to bend downward under its load, and also any tendency to become twisted under the torsional strain exerted mittedto the bearing 2 so as to enable the bearing to be properly alined with the shaft 16, thus avoiding any tendency to wear or cramp the hearing or shaft. When the bear. ing 2has been brought to its proper adjustment it is secured in place by a bolt 20 which passes through the forked end 19 of the bracket 1, through the block 18, and into the bottom of the bearing 2.

, Near the left hand end of the machine is a bracket 21 (Figs. 1, 7, 8 and 10), mounted on bridge bar 8 by means of a pair of'vertically slotted supports 22, similar in construction to the support 3 already described. The bracket 21 is, provided at'its top with bearing hubs 23 and 24 extending transversely of the shaft 16. Within the bearing hub 23 is a shaft 25 provided at its rear end with a spur gear 26, meshing with a spur gear 27, secured to shaft 28, which is ]011I- naled in-the other hub 24. At the forward end shaft 25 is a bevel gear 29 which bar 8. The rear end of shaft 28 is also provided' with a bevel gear 32, meshing into bevel gear 33 fixed to driving shaft 34, which .is journaled in bearings supported by the frame 13 and is drlven from any suitable source of power (not shown). Thus rotation of shaft 34 imparts rotation to shafts and'28, which in turn respectively rotate the shaft 16, and drive thechain 31. A little above the feed apron A is the usual presser plate 35, underneath which the stock is de-v livered to the feed apron, said plate 35 being supported by brackets 36 and 37 (Figs. 1 and 3) mounted on bridge bar 8. On the same brackets 36 and 37 is supported the guide rail 38 extending from end to end of the machine just above the plate 35. v r The traveler (Figs. 1 to 6) consists of a traveler body 39, which may be a single casting, having at its top a pair of hubs or sleeves 40, 40, which are mounted to slide on the'shaft 16. Between the sleeves 40, 40, is a bevel gear-41, which also slides on shaft 16 with the carrier, but is connected to shaft 16 so as to rotate therewith by a feather 41 on gear'41, whichoccupies and slides within a groove 16 formed lengthwise of the shaft 16 (Fig. Projecting rearwardly from the traveler body 39 is an arm 42 formed with a slot and extending upright close to the side of the chain 31. Secured to the chain 31 is a stud 43 which projects into the slot of arm 42 and drives the carrier backward and forward with the chain. The traveler body 39 is also made with an upright hearing or journal 44, in which is mounted a rotary shaft 45, provided at its lower end with a feed roll 46 and at its upper end with a combined spur gear and bevel gear 47. The bevel surface of said gear 47 meshes with and is driven by the splined bevel gear '41 on grooved shaft 16.

Cotiperating with feed roll 46 is another feed roll 48 secured to the lower end of shaft 49, the upper end of which is journaled in a swivel'frame 50, pivoted to the traveler body by a bolt or stud 51, the axis of which extends in a horizontal direction, whereby the swivel frame 50 and its depending rotary shaft 49 and feed roll 48 may be swung on a horizontal axis and in a vertical plane away from and toward the other shaft and feed 'roll 45 and 46. Near the upper end of the swinging shaft 49 is fixed a spur gear 53 which meshes with the spur gear surface of gear 47 and is driven thereby. Said shaft 49v is rotatably supported in said swivel frame 50 by the head 52' at the top of said shaft. A sleeve 54 is mounted on the shaft I 49 below gear 53 and is made with a latin a housing 59 on the traveler body 39.

Said housing is closed on the front side by a cap 60 secured to the traveler body 39 by screws 61, 61, passing through curved slots 62, 62, (Fig.2) inthecover 60. Vithin said housing 59 is a coiled torsion spring 63, one end of whichis secured to the cap 60 and the other end of which is secured to the lever 57, thereby normallyjurging the lever 57 to the right as viewed in Fig.2, and to the leftas viewed in Fig. 4, thus tending to press the feed rolls 46 and 48 together. The tension of said spring 63 may be varied and the pressure of the feed rolls thereby adj usted by rotatively adjusting the cap 60 by means of the slots and adjusting screws 62 and 61.

At the lower endof the traveler body 39, and on its rear side, is a flat shoe 64 which bears against and slides upon the guide rail 38 as the traveler, which is suspended from shaft 16, is reciprocated from side to side Both ends 66, 66, of the of the machine. shoe 64, rise sharply and abruptly from the sliding surface, thus presenting a sharp scraping edge at each end of the shoe which clears the guide rail 38 of any lint or dirt as the traveler reciprocates, a function which cannot be performed by rollers heretofore used in place of a sliding shoe.

65 is the usual guiding eye fastened to the traveler body 39 opposite the feed rolls for directing the sliver between the feed rolls.

From the foregoing description the operation of the machine will be clear to those familiar with the art. The traveleris reciprocated from side to side of the machine frame by the continuously driven chain 31. At the same time the rotating shaft 16, acting through gears 41, 47 and 53, positively rotates the feed rolls in a direction to feed the sliver forward underneath plate 35 and deliver it on to apron A, by which'it is carried to the carding machine.

- Heretofore in machines of this kind, one of the feed rolls with its shaft, corresponding to roll 48 and shaft 49, has been mounted so as to yield with relation to the other roll or shaft, but this. has been accomplished traveler body. In either case the shaft of the yielding roll moves parallel with the shaft of the other roll,-and its range of movement is limited by the extent to which the gears intermesh, otherwise the gear of the yielding roll would be withdrawn from mesh with the other gear. With the present invention by swinging the yielding roll and its shaft on a horizontal axis at the top, and in a vertical plane, the movement of separation of the feed rolls is much greater than that of the gears, which are nearer the pivot, and a relatively wide separation of the feed rolls may be had without withdrawing the gears from mesh (see dotted line position in Fig. 4). The feed rolls thus accommodate themselves better to the inequalities of the sliver, than was possible with the machines heretofore used.

If it is desired to change the relative speed of the driving chain 31 and of the rotation of shaft 16, in order to regulate the rate of the delivery of the sliver through the feed rolls, relatively to the rate of travel of traveler, the gears 26 and 27 may be interchanged with other gears, one larger and one smaller, or vice versa, as desired.

I claim:

1. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a traveler body, a pair of feed rolls rotatably supported by the traveler body and separable from each other, and a pair of intermeshing gears adapted to actuate said feed rolls, the range of movement of separation of said feed rolls being greater than the range of movement of separation of said gears wherebya relatively wide separation of the feed rolls may be had without withdrawing the gears from mesh.

2. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a traveler body, two rotary shafts carried by said body and provided with intermeshing gears, a feed roll oneach shaft, said shafts and their feed rolls and gears being bodily separable one from the other and the range of movement of separation of the ends of said shafts carrying the feed rolls being greater than the range of movement of separation of the ends of said roll at the lower end of said shaft and a gear at the upper end of said shaft, a second rotary shaft, pivotal connection between the upper end of the second rotary shaft and the traveler body adapted to permit the shaft to be swung on its pivot in a-vertical plane toward and away from the first shaft, a feed -roll at the lower end of the second shaft and a gear at the upper end of the second shaft inmesh' with the gear on the shaftjournaled on the traveler body, whereby when the two shafts are swung apart the' movement of separation of the feed rolls will be greater than that of the intermeshing gears, thus admitting of a relatively wide separation of the feed rolls without withdrawing the gears from mesh;

4. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a traveler body, a vertical rotary shaft journaled on said traveler body, a feed roll at the lower end of said shaft and a gear at the upper end of said shaft, a second rotary shaft, pivotal connection between the upper end of the second rotary shaft and the traveler body adapted to permit the shaft to be swung on its pivot in a vertical plane toward and away from the first shaft, a feed roll at the lower end of the second shaft and a gear at the upper end of the second shaft in mesh with the gear on the shaft journaled on the traveler body, whereby when the two shafts are swung apart the movement of separation of the feed rolls will be greater than that of the intermeshing gears, thus admitting of a relatively wide separation of the feed rolls without withdrawing the gears from mesh, and meansadapted yieldingly to urge the feed rolls toward each other.

5. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a traveler body, a vertical rotary shaft journaled on said traveler body, a feed roll at the lower end of said shaft and a gear at the upper end of said shaft, a second rotary shaft, pivotal connection between the upper end of the second rotary shaft and the traveler body adapted to'permit the shaft to be swung on its pivot in a vertical plane toward and. away from the first shaft, a feed roll at the lower end of the second shaft and a gear at the upper end of the second shaft in mesh with the gear on the shaft journaled on the traveler body, whereby when the two shafts are swung apart the movement of separation of the feed rolls will be greater than that of the intermeshing gears, thus admitting of a relatively wide separation of the feed rolls without withdrawing the gears from mesh, a spring adapted yieldingly to urge the feed rolls toward each other, and means to vary the tension of said spring.

6. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a traveler body, a vertical rotary shaft journaled on said traveler body, a feed roll at the lower end of said shaft, a gear at the upper end of said shaft, a swivel frame pivoted to said traveler body on a horizontal.

the intermeshing gears, thus admitting of a relatively wide separation of the feed rolls without withdrawing the gears from mesh.

7. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a traveler body, a vertical rotary shaft journaled on said traveler body, a feed roll at the lower end of said shaft, a gear at the upper end of said shaft, a swivel frame pivoted to said traveler body on a horizontal axis to swing in a vertical plane, a rotary shaft ournaled on said swivel frame, a feed roll at the lower end of the last named shaft and a gear at its upper end meshing with the gear on the shaft j ournaled on the traveler body, whereby when the two shafts are swung apart the movement of separation of the feed rolls will be greater than that of the intermeshing gears, thus admitting of a relatively wide separation of the feed rolls without withdrawing the gears from mesh, and means adapted yieldingly to urge the feed rolls toward each other.

8. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a traveler body, two rotary shafts carried by said body and provided with intermeshing gears, a feed roll on each shaft, means to permit said two shafts and feed rolls to move bodily away from andtoward each other, a spring adapted yieldingly to urge said shafts and feed rolls toward each other, and means to vary the tension of said spring.

9. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a traveler body, a vertical rotary shaft journaled on said traveler body, a feed roll at the lower end of said shaft and a gear at the upper end of said shaft, a second rotary shaft, pivotal connection between the upper end of the second shaft and the traveler body adapted to permit the shaft to be swung on its pivot in a vertical plane toward and away from the first shaft, a feed roll at the lower end of the second shaft and a gear at the upper end of the second shaft in mesh with the gear on the shaft journaled on the traveler body, a spring housing on the traveler body, a coil spring in said housing, and connecting means between said spring and said swinging shaft adapted to urge the feed rolls toward each other.

10. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a traveler body, a vertical rotary shaft journaled on said traveler body, a feed roll at the lower end of said shaft and a gear at the upper end of said shaft, a second rotary shaft, pivotal connection between the upper end of the second shaft and the traveler body adapted to permit the shaft to be swung on its pivot in a vertical plane toward and away from the first shaft, a feed roll at the lower end of the second shaft and a gear at the upper end of the second shaftin mesh with the gear on the shaft journaled on the traveler body, a sleeve on said swinging shaft, means connecting said sleeve and the traveler body to prevent rotation of the sleeve on the shaft, and a spring on the traveler body cooperating with said sleeve to urge the swinging shaft toward the other shaft.

11. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a traveler body, a vertical rotary shaft journaled on said traveler body, a feed roll at the lower end of said shaft and a gear at the upper end of said shaft, a second rotary shaft, pivotal connection between the upper end of the second shaft and the traveler body adapted to permit the shaft to be swung on its pivot in a vertical plane toward and away from the first shaft, a feed roll at the lower end of the second shaft and a gear at the upper end of the second shaft in mesh with the gear on the shaft journaled on the traveler body, a sleeve on said swinging shaft, a fingerprojecting from said sleeve and making sliding engagement with the traveler body to prevent rotation of the sleeve on the shaft, and a spring on the traveler body cooperating with said sleeve to urge the swinging shaft toward the other shaft.

12. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a traveler body, a vertical rotary shaft journaled on said traveler body, a feed roll at the lower end of said shaft and a gear at the upper end of said shaft,a second r0- tary shaft, pivotal connection between the upper end of the second shaft and the traveler body adapted to permit the shaft to be swung on its pivot in a vertical plane toward and away from the first shaft, a feed roll at the lower end of the second shaft and a gear at the upper end of the second shaft in mesh with the gear on the shaft journaled on the traveler body, a spring housing on the traveler body, a coil spring in said housing, a lever ournaled to the housing and actuated by said spring, a sleeve on said swinging shaft, means connecting said sleeve and the traveler body to prevent rotation of the sleeve on the shaft, and a stud on said sleeve acted upon bysaid lever to urge the swinging shaft toward the other shaft.

13. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a supporting and guiding frame comprising a supporting shaft and a guide bar, a traveler suspended from and movable along said supporting shaft, and a flat shoe projecting from the lower part of the traveler body, and bearing against and making sliding contact with the guide bar.

14. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a supporting and guiding frame comprising a supporting shaft and a guide bar, a traveler suspended from and movable along said supporting shaft, and a flat shoe projecting from the lower part of the traveler body provided at each end with a scraping edge, and bearing against and making sliding contact with the guide bar.

15. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a frame comprising two end supporting brackets, and a single bridge bar extending between said end brackets and consisting of a relatively wide thin plate arranged with its greater transverse dimension in a vertical plane, a traveler, and mechanism supported on said single bridge bar adapted to actuate the traveler.

16. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a frame comprising two end supporting brackets, and a single bridge bar extending between said end brackets and consisting of a relatively wide thin plate arranged with its greater transverse dimension in a vertical plane, a traveler, mechanism supported on said single bridge bar adapted to actuate the traveler, and a traveler guide rail also supported on said single bridge bar.

17. In a feeding mechanism for carding machines, a frame comprising two end sup- Copies of this patent may be obtained for porting brackets, a single bridge bar extending between said end brackets and consisting of a relatively wide and thin plate arranged with.its greater transverse dimension in a ,vertical'plane, and a rotary shaft journaled at its ends on said end brackets, a traveler supported on said rotary shaft, mechanism to actuate said traveler, a set of brackets on'which said actuating mechanism is mounted secured to said single bridge bar, a guiderail, a presser plate and another set of brackets secured to said bridge bar, on which said guide rail and presser plate are mounted.

Signed by me at Worcester, Massachusetts, this 29th day of May 1914.

JOSEPH B. HOWE.

Witnesses:

ROBERT CUSHMAN, CHARLES D. WOODBERRY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

